Mobile Digital Property Portfolio Management System

ABSTRACT

A mobile property portfolio management system provides the capability of generating, maintaining, searching and displaying property portfolio data from a mobile device such as a smartphone (e.g., iPhone), tablet (e.g., iPad) or any other mobile computing device. The property portfolio management system comprises a mobile or client portion, a central or server portion and optional satellite offices. The system comprises software that runs on one or more server computers as well as client or user side software that can be realized as a standalone software application or “app” that runs on the client device (e.g., desktop, mobile device, tablet, etc.) or entirely in a standard web browser. The property portfolio management system in effect provides a digital version of a property portfolio with easy access to portfolio data for both internal users and public users and is particularly useful when realized on a tablet or mobile device.

REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/296,910, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,514,204, filed Nov. 16, 2010, entitled“Mobile Digital Property Portfolio Management System”, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/414,400, filed Nov.16, 2010, entitled “Mobile Digital Property Portfolio Viewer,” both ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of database systems, and moreparticularly relates to a mobile digital property portfolio system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is therefore provided in accordance with the present invention, aproperty portfolio system, comprising a central database operative tostore real estate portfolio related data therein, and a server computerin communication with one or more client computers over a network, saidserver computer incorporating a web-based interface and operative toaccess said central database in response to requests for real estateportfolio related data received from users over a network, retrieve saidreal estate portfolio related data from said central database and servesaid retrieved real estate portfolio data to said users.

There is also provided in accordance with the present invention, amethod of managing a property portfolio, said method comprisingreceiving a request from a user over a network for property portfoliorelated information, said property portfolio generated from user enteredproperty portfolio related data and stored in a central database, inresponse to said request, retrieving data corresponding to said requestfor information about one or more properties from said central database,and serving said requested data to said user over said network.

There is further provided in accordance with the present invention, amethod of viewing a property portfolio on a mobile device, said methodcomprising providing an application on said mobile device for dynamic,interactive viewing and management of an electronic real estate propertyportfolio, said electronic property portfolio generated from propertyportfolio data entered by a user and stored in a database, in responseto a user command to view property portfolio data, retrieving propertyportfolio data from said database, and formatting and displayingproperty portfolio data corresponding to said user command to said user.

There is also provided in accordance with the present invention, asoftware application product that when executed on a processor in amobile device is operative to provide dynamic, interactive viewing andmanagement of an electronic real estate property portfolio, saidelectronic real estate property portfolio generated from propertyrelated data stored in a database, in response to a user request fordata, send a request to said database for real estate property portfoliodata corresponding to said user requests, receive from said server, inresponse to said request, a response containing requested real estateproperty portfolio data, and format and display said real estateproperty portfolio data received in said response to said user.

There is further provided in accordance with the present invention, acomputer program product for viewing an electronic property portfolio,the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usablestorage medium having computer usable code embodied therewith, thecomputer usable program code comprising computer usable code configuredfor receiving a request from a user over a network for information aboutone or more properties in said property portfolio, said propertyportfolio generated from user entered property portfolio related dataand stored in a central database, computer usable code configured for inresponse to said request, retrieving data corresponding to said requestfor information about one or more properties from said central database,and computer usable code configured for serving said requested data tosaid user over said network.

There is also provided in accordance with the present invention, aproperty portfolio management system for use on a mobile device,comprising a data interface for retrieving real estate portfolio datafrom a database adapted to store real estate portfolio data, and asoftware application for execution on said mobile device by users, saidapplication operative to provide dynamic, interactive viewing andmanagement of real estate portfolio data stored in said database.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer processingsystem adapted to implement the portfolio management system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a high level block diagram illustrating an exampletablet/mobile device incorporating the portfolio management system ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example network that includesa mobile device, central and satellite offices, internal and publicusers;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the data flow in anexample portfolio management system;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the client and server tasks andrelated connectivity of the portfolio management system;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example portfolio managermethod of the portfolio management system;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example client app of themobile portfolio system;

FIG. 8 is a high level system block diagram of the property portfoliosystem;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example property search methodof the mobile client app;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the components of a first internaluser portion of the property portfolio system;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the central/satellite office connectedto an online central/satellite database;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the central/satellite office connectedto an offline database;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functional components of a secondinternal user portion of the property portfolio system;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example user information page of anexample portfolio management system;

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example role information page of anexample portfolio management system;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example tenant information page ofan example portfolio management system;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example property information pageof an example portfolio management system;

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example home screen of an exampleportfolio management system;

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating another example home screen of anexample portfolio management system;

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a property comparisonscreen of an example portfolio management system.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example map screen of an exampleportfolio management system;

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example property image screen of anexample portfolio management system;

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example property layout screen ofan example portfolio management system;

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example rent history graph screenof an example portfolio management system;

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example sales history screen of anexample portfolio management system; and

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example property information screenof an example portfolio management system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Note that throughout this document the term “website” is used to referto a user-accessible network site that implements the basic World WideWeb standards for the coding and transmission of hypertext documents.These standards currently include HTML (the hypertext mark up language)and HTTP (the hypertext transfer protocol). Note that the term “site” isnot intended to imply a single geographic location as a website or othernetwork site can, for example, include multiple geographicallydistributed computer systems that are appropriately linked together.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present inventionmay be embodied as a system, method, computer program product or anycombination thereof. Accordingly, the present invention may take theform of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computerprogram product embodied in any tangible medium of expression havingcomputer usable program code embodied in the medium.

The invention may be described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that performparticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Theinvention may also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotecomputer storage media including memory storage devices.

Any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readablemedium(s) may be utilized. The computer-usable or computer-readablemedium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic,optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus,device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustivelist) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: anelectrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computerdiskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory(ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flashmemory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory(CDROM), an optical storage device, a transmission media such as thosesupporting the Internet or an intranet, or a magnetic storage device.Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even bepaper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, asthe program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, opticalscanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, orotherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then storedin a computer memory. In the context of this document, a computer-usableor computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain or storethe program for use by or in connection with the instruction executionsystem, apparatus, or device.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the presentinvention may be written in any combination of one or more programminglanguages, including an object oriented programming language such asJava, Smalltalk, C++, C# or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

The present invention is described below with reference to flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) andcomputer program products according to embodiments of the invention. Itwill be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/orblock diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented or supported bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable medium that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instruction meanswhich implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer orother programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series ofoperational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmableapparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that theinstructions which execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The invention is operational with numerous general purpose or specialpurpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples ofwell-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations thatmay be suitable for use with the invention include, but are not limitedto, personal computers, server computers, cloud computing, hand-held orlaptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor, microcontrolleror microcomputer based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumerelectronics, ASIC or FPGA core, DSP core, network PCs, minicomputers,mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include anyof the above systems or devices, and the like.

A block diagram illustrating an example computer processing systemadapted to implement the mobile property portfolio system of the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 1. The exemplary computer processing system,generally referenced 10, for implementing the invention comprises ageneral purpose computing device 11. Computing device 11 comprisescentral processing unit (CPU) 12, host/PIC/cache bridge 20 and mainmemory 24.

The CPU 12 comprises one or more general purpose CPU cores 14 andoptionally one or more special purpose cores 16 (e.g., DSP core,floating point, etc.). The one or more general purpose cores executegeneral purpose opcodes while the special purpose cores executesfunctions specific to their purpose. The CPU 12 is coupled through theCPU local bus 18 to a host/PCI/cache bridge or chipset 20. A secondlevel (i.e. L2) cache memory (not shown) may be coupled to a cachecontroller in the chipset. For some processors, the external cache maycomprise an L1 or first level cache. The bridge or chipset 20 couples tomain memory 24 via memory bus 20. The main memory comprises dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM) or extended data out (EDO) memory, or othertypes of memory such as ROM, static RAM, flash, and non-volatile staticrandom access memory (NVSRAM), bubble memory, etc.

The computing device 11 also comprises various system components coupledto the CPU via system bus 26 (e.g., PCI). The host/PCI/cache bridge orchipset 20 interfaces to the system bus 26, such as peripheral componentinterconnect (PCI) bus. The system bus 26 may comprise any of severaltypes of well-known bus structures using any of a variety of busarchitectures. Example architectures include Industry StandardArchitecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, EnhancedISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Associate (VESA) local busand Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) also known as Mezzanine bus.

Various components connected to the system bus include, but are notlimited to, non-volatile memory (e.g., disk based data storage) 28,video/graphics adapter 30 connected to display 32, user input interface(I/F) controller 31 connected to one or more input devices such mouse34, tablet 35, microphone 36, keyboard 38 and modem 40, networkinterface controller 42, peripheral interface controller 52 connected toone or more external peripherals such as printer 54 and speakers 56. Thenetwork interface controller 42 is coupled to one or more devices, suchas data storage 46, remote computer 48 running one or more remoteapplications 50, via a network 44 which may comprise the Internet cloud,a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), storage areanetwork (SAN), etc. A small computer systems interface (SCSI) adapter(not shown) may also be coupled to the system bus. The SCSI adapter cancouple to various SCSI devices such as a CD-ROM drive, tape drive, etc.

The non-volatile memory 28 may include various removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media, such as hard disk drivesthat reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media,a magnetic disk drive that reads from or writes to a removable,nonvolatile magnetic disk, an optical disk drive that reads from orwrites to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk such as a CD ROM orother optical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatilecomputer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operatingenvironment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes,flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solidstate RAM, solid state ROM, and the like.

A user may enter commands and information into the computer throughinput devices connected to the user input interface 31. Examples ofinput devices include a keyboard and pointing device, mouse, trackballor touch pad. Other input devices may include a microphone, joystick,game pad, satellite dish, scanner, etc.

The computer 11 may operate in a networked environment via connectionsto one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 48. Theremote computer may comprise a personal computer (PC), server, router,network PC, peer device or other common network node, and typicallyincludes many or all of the elements described supra. Such networkingenvironments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computernetworks, intranets and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 11 is connectedto the LAN 44 via network interface 42. When used in a WAN networkingenvironment, the computer 11 includes a modem 40 or other means forestablishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. Themodem 40, which may be internal or external, is connected to the systembus 26 via user input interface 31, or other appropriate mechanism.

The computing system environment, generally referenced 10, is an exampleof a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest anylimitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention.Neither should the computing environment be interpreted as having anydependency or requirement relating to any one or combination ofcomponents illustrated in the exemplary operating environment.

In one embodiment, the software adapted to implement the system andmethods of the present invention can also reside in the cloud. Cloudcomputing provides computation, software, data access and storageservices that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical locationand configuration of the system that delivers the services. Cloudcomputing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service andtypically involves provisioning of dynamically scalable and oftenvirtualized resources. Cloud computing providers deliver applicationsvia the internet, which can be accessed from a web browser, while thebusiness software and data are stored on servers at a remote location.

In another embodiment, software adapted to implement the system andmethods of the present invention is adapted to reside on a computerreadable medium. Computer readable media can be any available media thatcan be accessed by the computer and capable of storing for later readingby a computer a computer program implementing the method of thisinvention. Computer readable media includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computerstorage media and communication media. Computer storage media includesvolatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implementedin any method or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can be accessed by a computer. Communication media typicallyembodies computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules or other data such as a magnetic disk within a disk drive unit.The software adapted to implement the system and methods of the presentinvention may also reside, in whole or in part, in the static or dynamicmain memories or in firmware within the processor of the computer system(i.e. within microcontroller, microprocessor or microcomputer internalmemory).

Other digital computer system configurations can also be employed toimplement the system and methods of the present invention, and to theextent that a particular system configuration is capable of implementingthe system and methods of this invention, it is equivalent to therepresentative digital computer system of FIG. 1 and within the spiritand scope of this invention.

Once they are programmed to perform particular functions pursuant toinstructions from program software that implements the system andmethods of this invention, such digital computer systems in effectbecome special purpose computers particular to the method of thisinvention. The techniques necessary for this are well-known to thoseskilled in the art of computer systems.

It is noted that computer programs implementing the system and methodsof this invention will commonly be distributed to users on adistribution medium such as floppy disk, CDROM, DVD, flash memory,portable hard disk drive, etc. From there, they will often be copied toa hard disk or a similar intermediate storage medium. When the programsare to be run, they will be loaded either from their distribution mediumor their intermediate storage medium into the execution memory of thecomputer, configuring the computer to act in accordance with the methodof this invention. All these operations are well-known to those skilledin the art of computer systems.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or by combinationsof special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Tablet/Mobile Device Incorporating the Mobile Digital PortfolioManagement Application

A high level block diagram illustrating an example tablet/mobile deviceincorporating the mobile property portfolio management system of thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 2. The mobile device is preferably atwo-way communication device having voice and/or data communicationcapabilities. In addition, the device optionally has the capability tocommunicate with other computer systems via the Internet. Note that themobile device may comprise any suitable wired or wireless device such asmultimedia player, mobile communication device, cellular phone,smartphone, PDA, PNA, Bluetooth device, tablet computing device such asthe iPad, etc. For illustration purposes only, the device is shown as amobile device, such as a cellular based telephone, smartphone orsuperphone. Note that this example is not intended to limit the scope ofthe mechanism as the invention can be implemented in a wide variety ofcommunication devices. It is further appreciated the mobile device shownis intentionally simplified to illustrate only certain components, asthe mobile device may comprise other components and subsystems beyondthose shown.

The mobile device, generally referenced 60, comprises one or moreprocessors 62 which may comprise a baseband processor, CPU,microprocessor, DSP, etc., optionally having both analog and digitalportions. The mobile device may comprise a plurality of cellular radios102 and associated antennas 104. Radios for the basic cellular link andany number of other wireless standards and Radio Access Technologies(RATs) may be included. Examples include, but are not limited to any 3Gor 4G cellular standard, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA), Personal Communication Services (PCS), GlobalSystem for Mobile Communication (GSM)/GPRS/EDGE 3G; WCDMA; WiMAX forproviding WiMAX wireless connectivity when within the range of a WiMAXwireless network; Bluetooth for providing Bluetooth wirelessconnectivity when within the range of a Bluetooth wireless network; WLANfor providing wireless connectivity when in a hot spot or within therange of an ad hoc, infrastructure or mesh based wireless LAN (WLAN)network; near field communications; UWB; GPS receiver for receiving GPSradio signals transmitted from one or more orbiting GPS satellites, FMtransceiver provides the user the ability to listen to FM broadcasts aswell as the ability to transmit audio over an unused FM station at lowpower, such as for playback over a car or home stereo system having anFM receiver, digital broadcast television, etc.

The mobile device may also comprise internal volatile storage 64 (e.g.,RAM) and persistent storage 68 (e.g., ROM) and flash memory 66.Persistent storage 68 also stores applications executable byprocessor(s) 62 including the related data files used by thoseapplications to allow device 60 to perform its intended functions.Several optional user-interface devices include trackball/thumbwheelwhich may comprise a depressible thumbwheel/trackball that is used fornavigation, selection of menu choices and confirmation of action,keypad/keyboard such as arranged in QWERTY fashion for enteringalphanumeric data and a numeric keypad for entering dialing digits andfor other controls and inputs (the keyboard may also contain symbol,function and command keys such as a phone send/end key, a menu key andan escape key), headset 88, earpiece 86 and/or speaker 84, microphone(s)and associated audio codec or other multimedia codecs, vibrator foralerting a user, one or more cameras and related circuitry 110, 112,display(s) 122 and associated display controller 106 and touchscreencontrol 108. Serial ports include a micro USB port 76 and related USBPHY 74 and micro SD port 78. Other interface connections may includeSPI, SDIO, PCI, USD, etc. for providing a serial link to a user's PC orother device. SIM/RUIM card 80 provides the interface to a user's SIM orRUIM card for storing user data such as address book entries, useridentification, etc.

Portable power is provided by the battery 72 coupled to power managementcircuitry 70. External power is provided via USB power or an AC/DCadapter connected to the power management circuitry which is operativeto manage the charging and discharging of the battery. In addition to abattery and AC/DC external power source, additional optional powersources each with its own power limitations, include: a speaker phone,DC/DC power source, and any bus powered power source (e.g., USB devicein bus powered mode).

Operating system software executed by the processor 62 is preferablystored in persistent storage (i.e. ROM 68), or flash memory 66, but maybe stored in other types of memory devices. In addition, systemsoftware, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may betemporarily loaded into volatile storage 64, such as random accessmemory (RAM). Communications signals received by the mobile device mayalso be stored in the RAM.

The processor 62, in addition to its operating system functions, enablesexecution of software applications on the device 60. A predetermined setof applications that control basic device operations, such as data andvoice communications, may be installed during manufacture. Additionalapplications (or apps) may be downloaded from the Internet and installedin memory for execution on the processor. Alternatively, software may bedownloaded via any other suitable protocol, such as SDIO, USB, networkserver, etc.

Other components of the mobile device include an accelerometer 114 fordetecting motion and orientation of the device, magnetometer 116 fordetecting the earth's magnetic field, FM radio 118 and antenna 120,Bluetooth radio 98 and antenna 100, Wi-Fi radio 94 including antenna 96and GPS 90 and antenna 92.

In accordance with the invention, the mobile device 60 is adapted toimplement the mobile property portfolio system as hardware, software oras a combination of hardware and software. In one embodiment,implemented as a software task, the program code operative to implementthe mobile property portfolio system is executed as one or more tasksrunning on processor 62 and either (1) stored in one or more memories64, 66, 68 or (2) stored in local memory within the processor 62 itself.

Mobile Digital Property Portfolio Management System

A block diagram illustrating an example network that includes a mobiledevice, central and satellite offices, internal and public users isshown in FIG. 3. The network, generally referenced 130, comprises acentral office (back-end) 156 connected to the internet 150 or othernetwork (e.g., WAN, etc.), one or more satellite offices 146 and one ormore mobile devices (front-end) 132 connected to the internet as well.

The central office 156 comprises a central database 160 connected to theinternet via a web interface 158. Offline databases 162 are generated bythe central office and are used by mobile device users when there is noconnectivity from the mobile device to the central office or when thecentral office is down. Offline databases are essentially clones of thecentral database. A copy of the offline database is sent to the mobiledevice and stored therein to provide portfolio data for internal andpublic users with there is no connectivity to the central office.Internal users 164 have access to the contents of the central databaseand can add, delete and change data stored therein.

One or more satellite offices 146 can be located anywhere and areconnected to the internet. Internal users 148 connect to the satelliteoffice via a web interface 152 or direct connection. The satelliteoffice comprises a satellite database 154. The satellite database ineach satellite office is periodically synchronized with the centraldatabase in the central office. The changed contents of the satellitedatabases are merged with the contents of the central database usingwell-known database synchronization techniques.

Internal users 144 also connect to the central office or a satelliteoffice via a web browser 142 interface connected to the internet.Internal users mainly perform administrative tasks such as maintainingthe property portfolio information, user related information, etc. onthe satellite and/or central databases.

The back end comprises a website that a user can log into from withinthe corporate network and search, list, view, upload, change or deletedata. In order to control the management of the content the back endwebsite comprises two sections. The first section is a user managementconsole (admin tools/security tools) where the different users (internalusers) are granted access and can see and modify content in accordancewith their configured role or permissions. The second section is wherethe data and content are maintained.

Note that the application of the invention is operative to provide aninteractive environment on mobile (portable) devices on the differentreal estate portfolios that a company may have worldwide. Theapplication also provides the option to view information related toproperties not owned by a company (prospective properties not owned) andanalyzes the information within the same graphical interface.

The application currently is split between the back end where all thedata gets inputted and the front end, which currently is the iPad,iPhone, or iPod Touch but it is not limited to these devices only.

The mobile property portfolio management system provides the capabilityof generating, maintaining, searching and displaying property portfoliodata from a mobile device such as a smartphone (e.g., iPhone), tablet(e.g., iPad) or any other mobile computing device. The system isintended for use on any computer system such as desktop computers,laptop computers, notebook computers, netbook computers, wireless mobiledevices, mobile phones, etc. It is however, especially applicable foruse on tablet computers such as the Apple iPad, Android based tabletsand other tablet formats.

The property portfolio system comprises a mobile or client portion 132and a central or server portion 156 (and zero or more optional satelliteoffices 146). The system comprises software that runs on one or moreserver computers as well as client or user side software that can berealized (1) as a standalone software application or “app” that runs onthe client device (e.g., desktop, mobile device, tablet, etc.) or (2)entirely in a standard web browser. Essentially, the property portfoliosystem provides a digital version of a property portfolio with easyaccess to portfolio data for both internal users and public users and isparticularly useful when realized on a tablet or mobile device.

The property portfolio management application of the invention projectcan be implemented at relatively low cost for mobile devices. A productincorporating the invention can accompany existing company real estateportfolios. It is appreciated that although the invention is describedin the context of an example property portfolio system, it is notlimited to such and can be used with portfolios containing items otherthan real estate.

The property portfolio system stores company property portfolios anddisplays the information to directors and investors (public users) viathe mobile application (app). The web user interface (UI) functionalityperforms actions on the satellite or central database such asAdd/Update/Delete information portfolios (e.g., images, site plan,property information, financial analysis, competitive analysis,demographic, statistics, regional office, leasing agent, units,tenant-broker, tenant, prospective owner(i.e. not an owner yet).

A block diagram illustrating an example of the data flow in an exampleportfolio management system is shown in FIG. 4. The network, generallyreferenced 330, comprises a central database 350 (located in the centraloffice) adapted to store company wide portfolio data thereon, optionalsatellite database(s) 348 and offline database(s) 346. Internal users342 have authority to access and modify the central database via webbrowser interface 344. Internal users can access and modify sort data,login data, request data, formatted data (responses), managementportfolios (including prospective property data (not owned) andmanagement security data.

The mobile device 332 provides access to the central database (andoffline database when it cannot connect to the central database or whenthe central database is not up and running) for both internal users 334and public users 336. As described supra, internal users have additionalprivileges to manage the portfolio data stored on the central database.The mobile device is operative to exchange sort data, formatted data(responses) and data requests between itself and the central database.If the device cannot connect to the central database, it attempts toconnect to an offline database 340 (an offline version of the centraldatabase). An offline database may or may not be stored on the device.If the device finds an offline database, it exchanges data requests,formatted data responses and sort data with it via controller (filesystem) 338.

Satellite database(s) 348, located in satellite offices, also exchangedata with the central database. Typically, the satellite databasesoperate independently from the central database with internal usersadding/changing/deleting records. Periodically (i.e. once a week, month,etc.), all or a portion of the satellite databases are synchronized withthe central database. The synchronization can be performed online oroffline and is not critical to the invention. For example, copies of thesatellite database may be sent to the central office where datasets areadded and deleted or modified in the central database based on thecontents of the satellite database. Thus, after all satellite databasesare synchronized, the central database contains a master version of allcompany data (i.e. an up to date version of portfolio data companywide). An updated offline database may then be generated for loadinginto the mobile devices for use when access to the central database isnot possible.

A block diagram illustrating the client and server tasks and relatedconnectivity of the portfolio management system is shown in FIG. 5. Thesystem, generally referenced 500, comprises public version clients 502and internal version clients 504 in communication with a server 510 viathe interne 506 or other wide band network. In addition, internal userscan access the server via a web browser interface 508.

In an example embodiment, the server is implemented using an operatingsystem platform such as Windows, Linux, Sun OS, etc. The server 510 maybe implemented using any suitable computing device. In operation, itruns various tasks, subsystems and databases, including but not limitedto, IIS, FTP, SQL, etc. The server 510 comprises an operating system(iOS in the case of the iPad, iPhone) and several tasks including webservices data task 512, web services site plan data task 514, processdata task 513, report generator task 515, SQL database management task517 and the central database 516. In one embodiment, additional servertasks include ABM City, ABM Region, ABM State, ABM Country, ABMProspective, ABM Portfolio, ABM Property Status, ABM Property Type, ABMRegional Office, ABM Leasing Agent, ABM Company, ABM Contact, ABMTenant, ABM Tenant Category, ABM Tenant Config Global, ABM Unit, ProcessFootFall, Process Create SitePlan, Process Rent Roll, Generate Brochureand Generate Reports.

The public version client 502 for connecting public users to the servercomprises an operating system (not shown), search task 503, display task505, user interface task 507 and server interface task 509. In oneembodiment, additional tasks on the public version client include SearchProperties by Filters, Property location in Google Maps, View PropertyInformation, View PDF Document on the property, View Images on theproperty, View FootFall information, View SitePlan map on the propertyand Comparison of Portfolios between non-owned Prospective properties.

The internal version client 504 for connecting internal users to theserver comprises an operating system (not shown), search task 501,display task 511, user interface task 518 and server interface task 519.In one embodiment, the server, clients and web browser users allcommunicate over the internet using a secure protocol such as SSL. Inone embodiment, additional tasks on the internal version client includeSearch Properties by Filters, Property location in Google Maps, ViewProperty Information, View PDF Document on the property, View Images onthe property, View FootFall information, View SitePlan map on theproperty, View Rent Roll information and Comparison of Portfoliosbetween non-owned Prospective properties.

In one embodiment, the property portfolio system permits viewing andinteracting with portfolios over mobile devices via the Internet. Userscan display and interact with multiple company portfolios in differentcountries with a mobile device over the internet and/or via Web UI.Actions possible on the data include but are not limited to add, update,delete: information portfolio (data and images); site plan data;property information; financial data analysis; competitive (comparative)analysis; demographic data; statistics; regional office related data;leasing agent; units; tenant-broker data; tenant data; prospective data(i.e. property not yet owned).

The system comprises software (i.e. application or app) operative to beexecuted on mobile devices such as Apple Inc. products such as the iPad,iPhone and iPod touch. It is appreciated that the system of theinvention can be implemented on other mobile devices as well withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

An advantage of the property portfolio system of the invention is theaccurate view and interactivity provided mobile device equipped users.Users have access over the internet to all company portfolios whereverthey may actually be located. The portfolio data itself is stored insatellite databases which are periodically synchronized with a centralrepository database located in the company's server in the centraloffice.

It is appreciated that a mobile app implementation based on theinvention can be ported to a mobile device. Users can enter data fromthe mobile device, via the web, via a satellite office (after asynchronization event) or central office. Once the information isentered (add, modify, delete), it is updated in the backend utility(central database) resulting in users receiving updated information inreal time.

In one embodiment, the app running on the user device is adapted to beespecially usable as the typical user contemplated is not likely to havemuch training. In addition, the app is adapted to be customizable foruse by various types of users, e.g., directors, investors, databasemaintenance personnel, company officers, etc. who need access to thecompany portfolios. Further, the app is adapted to display the targetproperty portfolio data in one portfolio or different subsidiaryportfolios.

The interface can be implemented on a mobile SDK platform for differentmobile technologies (iPad, Android, etc.). Internal users have moreaccess than public users as the former are responsible for creating andmaking changes to the contents of the central database.

In one embodiment, the Xcode suite of developer tools was used to createthe system. This suite of tools comprises graphical user interface (GUI)based applications, command-line tools, and documentation to aid in thesoftware development process. The Xcode application provides a powerfuluser interface for creating and managing software development projects.Xcode can be used to organize and edit source files, view documentation,build the application, debug the code, and optimize applicationperformance.

In one embodiment, the app can be written using well-known ObjectOriented Principles (OOP). The trade-off of increased code overhead andobject message passing is considered justified by the increasedmodularization of functionality, data encapsulation, communicationthrough interfaces and re-use through polymorphism.

The mobile framework (app) provides the core infrastructure for managingand running the application under different types of mobile devices(e.g., iOS, Android, etc.). Customization of the app is easily donethrough interactions with the classes of this framework.

A flow diagram illustrating an example portfolio manager method of theportfolio management system is shown in FIG. 6. After launching theapplication (step 360), the main nib is loaded and the applicationdelegate 368 is created (step 362). The application data structures arethen initialized (step 364) (block 370) and the application enters theforeground (step 366) (block 372). All manipulations to windows occurthrough the programmatic interfaces of the UIWindow class.

A block diagram illustrating an example client app of the mobileportfolio system is shown in FIG. 7. The device view, generallyreferenced 380, comprises the mobile device user interface 382,operating system (e.g., iOS) 382, port 384, event queue 386 and appitself 388. The app comprises a main run loop 390, application object392 and a plurality of core objects 394.

In operation, a view, i.e. an instance of the UIView class, defines arectangular region inside a window. Views are the primary mechanism forinteracting with the user in the application. Views perform severalfunctions, including drawing and animation support, layout and subviewmanagement and event handling.

Drawing and animation support include views drawing content in theirrectangular area. Some view properties can be modified to new values.Layout and subview management includes views that manage a list ofsubviews, allowing arbitrary hierarchies to be created. Views definetheir own resizing behaviors in relation to their parent view. Views canchange the size and position of their subviews automatically or usingcustom algorithms. Event handling includes views receiving touch eventsand forwarding events to other objects when appropriate.

A high level system block diagram of the property portfolio system isshown in FIG. 8. The system, generally referenced 540, compriseslogin/authentication related blocks including DBMS interface 542,controller 558, session block 560, client interface block 562, useraccount block 564 and timer block 566. In one embodiment, the clientinterface 562 comprises the application user interface (UI) that iscompiled using Xcode (objective C). It comprises the display screens andaccepts swipes, text entry and other user generated commands, data, etc.The controller block 558 is the task responsible for the app userinterface requests prior to login. The session block 560 is the taskresponsible for all app user interface requests for users that arelogging in and authenticated. The user account block 564 contains dataretrieved from the security database or other DBMS specifying the user'saccess level and permissions. The timer block 566 is a system objectattached to a session to determine if a user has been inactive for along enough period to be logged off by the system. The DBMS interfaceblock 542 performs data storage and retrieval operations in the systemfrom and to the DBMS.

The system 540 also comprises data management and display related blocksincluding the DBMS interface 542, fill form data/report generation block544, database schema block 550, file system interface 552, web serviceblock 546, template block 548, sort criteria 554, searchcontrol/template editor block 556 and controller 558. The controller 558is operative to mediate communications between the various other blocksand between the subsystems. The template block 548 comprises apre-defined format with filtering to apply to Web services. Templateinformation is stored in Web Services on the server side. The sortcriteria block 554 functions to use multiple sort criteria to re-orderthe records in the Web Services. The web services block 546 functions toretrieve data from the DBMS which incorporates the results of one ormore DBMS requests. The report generation block 544, in combination withthe web service data set block 546, template block 548 and sort criteriablock 554 generate a formatted report in a web page. The template editorblock 556 provides a service to create and modify templates. The DBschema block 550 comprises the schema of table and field layout(structure) in the DBMS (central and satellite databases). The filesystem block 552 comprises the computer file system for the alternatestorage of data sets.

The system 540 also comprises auxiliary functionality related blocksincluding the file system block 552, controller block 558, help block561 and logger block 563. Using this functionality, the controller blockfunctions to create the required logical components and mediatecommunication between them. The file system block 552 functions to storehelp pages and one or more system logs. The help block 561 functions tocreate help pages when requested. Help related information is stored inthe file system. The logger block 563 is operative to maintain a systemlog where system user actions are stored on the file system.

A flow diagram illustrating an example property search method of themobile client app is shown in FIG. 9. The search method process (block520) in the app is operative to search for property given certain searchquery or criteria. The particular database searched depends on whetherthe mobile device is connected to the internet or not (step 522). If thedevice is connected to the internet (i.e. access to the central databaseis available), then data is retrieved from the central database 526 inthe central server (step 524). Conversely, if access to the centraldatabase is not available, data is retrieved from the offline databasestored locally on the mobile device (i.e. via the file system) 530 (step528). The retrieved data is processed (formatted, etc.) (step 532) andthe query result is displayed to the user (step 534).

A diagram illustrating the components of a first internal user portionof the property portfolio system is shown in FIG. 10. As describedsupra, the property portfolio system provides access to both publicusers and internal users. Internal users 402 interact with the centraldatabase through a set of administrator tools (admin tools) 404. Theadmin tools block 404 is operative to handle the intake of propertyinformation, permit modification of existing data and delete propertyrelated data. Login block 406 is operative to configure and handle loginevents and coordinates user credential information storage in thesecurity database 408. The reports block 412 is operative to generateone or more different types of reports in accordance with user input.The admin and report blocks read and write data from and to the centralor satellite database 410.

In one embodiment, the actions possible by the admin tools and reportblocks on the data include but are not limited to add, update, delete;information portfolio (data and images); site plan data; propertyinformation; financial data analysis; competitive (comparative)analysis; demographic data; statistics; regional office related data;leasing agent; units; tenant-broker data; tenant data; prospective data(i.e. property not yet owned).

A diagram illustrating the central/satellite office connected to anonline central/satellite database is shown in FIG. 11. The system,generally referenced 420, comprises a central/satellite office (server)430 in communication with a portfolio app (client) 426 running on amobile device 427 through the internet 428 in a client/serverconfiguration. The central/satellite office 430 comprises several tasksincluding web services data task 432, web services siteplan data task434, view siteplan task 436, search properties by filters task 438,property location in Google Maps task 440, view rent roll task 442, viewPDF/images task 444, comparative portfolio task 448, new footfall task446 and central/satellite database 449. Note that the siteplan cancomprise a map of the property, tenant information, propertyinformation, and other sensitive information intended only for propertymanagers.

In operation, public users 422 and internal users 424 interact with theportfolio app 426 on the mobile device. The app generates databaserequests for portfolio information, rent information, images, etc. whichare sent to the server 430. Responses from the server are returned tothe client 427 for formatting and display to the user.

A diagram illustrating the central/satellite office connected to anoffline database is shown in FIG. 12. In the event the central/satellitedatabase is not available (no connectivity or the database is otherwiseunavailable) there is no client/server configuration as in FIG. 11.Instead, an offline database is used in the mobile device file system.The portfolio app, generally referenced 450, comprises controller task462, view siteplan task 466, search properties by filters task 468,property location in Google Maps task 470, view rent roll task 472, viewPDF/images task 474, comparative portfolio task 478, new footfall task476 and central/satellite database 479.

In operation, public users 452 and internal users 454 interact with theportfolio app 450 on the mobile device. The app generates databaserequests for portfolio information, rent information, images, etc.received from the users via the controller. Data is retrieved from theoffline database via the file system, formatted and presented fordisplay to the user.

A diagram illustrating the functional components of a second internaluser portion of the property portfolio system is shown in FIG. 13. Thisdiagram illustrates the functional components as implemented on thecentral office server. Internal users (administration users) interactwith the portfolio management system via web security block 484. Logincredentials are checked by login module 486 which communicates with thesecurity database 499. Permissions, including adding/updating/deletingactions, are handled by task 488 which communicates with the securitydatabase 499. Users, including adding, updating, deleting actions, arehandled by task 490 which communicates with the security database 499.Security related reports are generated by task 492 which communicateswith the security database 499.

The synchronization of one or more satellite portfolio databases ishandled by task 494 which accesses the central office database 498. Asdescribed supra, the satellite databases are periodically synchronizedwith the central office database. Task 496 processes offline datawhereby an offline database is generated from a snapshot of the centraloffice database 498 for use with the portfolio app running on mobiledevices when access to the central database is not possible.

Security Tool

As part of the security tool, the portfolio system provides various datainput screens in which internal users can input user and securityrelated data. In one embodiment, the security tool provides login toolsand security related tools. The security related tools include usertools for searching, adding, modifying and deleting users that will haveaccess to the Admin Tools system. Commands are provided for listing theusers registered in the system. The list shows the user's maininformation, including user name, real name, application to which theuser has access, domain, role and type of user.

A diagram illustrating an example user information page of an exampleportfolio management system is shown in FIG. 14. In this screen, userinformation is entered. If the type of user selected is “ActiveDirectory”, the system will request to indicate the domain to which itbelongs. If the user is a type “Web” user, however, the system will hidethe domain field and its selection will not be necessary. Nevertheless,the system will request the user to enter his password as shown in FIG.14. For example, the User Info screen, generally referenced 170,comprises domain field for the domain to which the user will belong; aUser Type input 171 where a user can select Active Directory (AD) useror web user; User Name field 172 for accessing the system; Passwordfield 174; Real Name field 176 for the user's real name; Email field178; Application drop down selection 180 for the application the userwill have access to; and Role drop down selection 182 for the type ofpermission granted. An Add New button functions to open a new User Infoscreen and a Save button functions to save the current screen whenpressed.

Also included in the security tools is the ability to configure the roleor permission/authority each user will have in the system includingtools for searching roles, adding new roles, deleting roles andmodifying roles. A diagram illustrating an example role information pageof an example portfolio management system is shown in FIG. 15. The roleinformation, generally referenced 570, comprises a list 578 thatincludes the name of the object, the action and description and an allowcheckbox column. Adding a new role requires the user to enter severalfields including a Name field 572 indicating the name of the role; aDescription field 574 indicating the detail or comment describing thefunctions of the role; and an Application field 576 indicating theapplication in which the role will be created.

Note that in one embodiment it is necessary to validate the informationbefore deleting a role because a role cannot be deleted if it isassociated with a certain user. If the role linked to a user is removed,the user is left without any role reference thus making the remaininginformation inconsistent, as there cannot be a user that does not havean assigned role.

The security tool also provides a synchronization module which functionsto receive the synchronization packages created by external applicationsand add their contents to the central database. Information added ormerged includes information related to properties, tenants, units, etc.If the data in the external database is not found in the centraldatabase, then it is added. If the data in the external database isfound in the central database then the system updates the data in thecentral database (i.e. merge process).

In addition, reports can be generated such as reports that list thesecurity by application and reports that list users by their roles(permissions). It is appreciated that numerous other reports can begenerated depending on the particular implementation.

The packages created by the applications have a folder structurecontaining the corresponding files related to the properties, tenants,etc. and a database backup with the information to be synchronized. Thisbackup must be previously restored in the database by an administratorto perform the data synchronization.

Administration Tool

The property portfolio system also comprises an administration tool (oradmin tool) for entering, modifying, deleting, searching and listingproperty related information. The admin tool comprises a plurality ofscreens that allow an internal user to search, add, change, and deletevarious property related data such as basic property information, tenantinformation, rent information, etc. Categories permitted to be enteredand modified include maintenance of country, region, state, city,prospective and portfolio related information. Additional categoriesinclude tenant, broker and property related information. Reports on anyadmin tool data item can be generated along with the entering ofsiteplan information. For each category of data type, the admin toolsprovide the capability of searching, adding, changing and deletingentries.

A Country Info screen is provided for adding country related informationincluding a Name field; Abbreviation field for initials that identity acountry; Latitude and Longitude fields that are used for graphics inmobile device applications; Zoom Google Map field to grant Zoom fordisplaying Good Maps; Currency field for indicating the currency in theparticular country, such as EUR or USD; and Unit of Measure field forland and property such as square meters (SQM).

A Region Info screen is provided for adding region related informationincluding a Name field; Abbreviation field indicating the initialsidentifying the region; Country field for the country in which theregion belongs; and Latitude and Longitude fields for use by the mobiledevice application.

A Country Info screen is provided for providing state relatedinformation including a Name field; Abbreviation field; Country fieldfor identifying the country to which the state belongs; Region field foridentifying the region of the country to which the state belongs; andLatitude and Longitude fields for use by the mobile device application.

A City Info screen is provided that includes tabs for basic Info,Demographics and Statistics. On the Info tab, a City Info screen isprovided for providing state related information including a Name fieldfor the name of the city; State field for the state the city belongs to;Region field for identifying the region, depending on the state the citybelongs to, the value entered changes depending on the selected state;Country field for identifying the country, depending on the selectedregion; and Latitude and Longitude fields for use by the mobile deviceapplication.

Additional demographic information related to the city can also beentered on the Demographics tab including a Year field indicating theyear the data was entered; Rank Total Population field; Total Populationfield; Growth Rate field for the growth rate of the city; urbanPopulation field; Rural Population field; and Households A, B, C fieldsindicating households segmented by income.

Additional statistics information related to the city can also beentered on the Statistics tab including a Year field indicating the yearthe data was entered; Quarter field for the quarter in which theinformation was obtained; GDP per capita field; Existing Gross LeasableArea (GLA) field; Future GLA field; and Retail Purchase Power field.

The admin tool also comprises screens where data related to possiblefuture property purchases can be searched, added, modified and deleted.A Prospective Info screen includes several fields including a Name fieldfor entering the prospective name; Portfolio field for the portfolio itwould be included in; Acquisition field for indicating if a prospectiveis being analyzed for possible future purchase; Disposition field forindicating if a prospective is being analyzed for possible future sale;and Image File field for the name of the image containing theprospective logo.

A Batch Property Update screen permits the selection of all propertiesthat are to belong to the selected prospective. As with other datascreens, a searching system filters by country and by property name oncethe information is entered.

A Portfolio Info screen is used to enter information related to aportfolio. The fields included in the Portfolio Info screen include aName field for entering the name of the portfolio; Latitude andLongitude fields which are used for mobile device applications; ZoomGoogle Maps field for indicating to include zoom in Google Maps display;and an Image File field for the name of the image containing theportfolio logo.

A Batch Property Update screen permits the selection of all propertiesthat are to belong to the selected portfolio. As with other datascreens, a searching system filters by country and by property name oncethe information is entered.

The admin tools also comprise the ability to search, add, change anddelete tenant related information administered by the system. The tenantinformation includes a tenant category such as bank, food, non-retail,services, restaurants, etc. A Tenant Config Global screen providesfields for the global configuration Name; Tenant Logo Image File for thelogo of the global configuration and Logo Map Image File for thelocation of the global configuration.

A diagram illustrating an example tenant information page of an exampleportfolio management system is shown in FIG. 16. Another propertyrelated screen in the admin tools is a screen foradding/changing/deleting tenant related information. The Tenant Infoscreen, generally referenced 230, comprises a plurality of tenantrelated fields. In the example screen presented, the fields include aTenant Trade Name field 232 for the commercial name tenant, Tenant LegalEntity field 234 for the tenant's legal name, Country field 236 for thecountry the tenant is in, Description field 238, Category field 240 forthe category the tenant belongs to, Portfolio field 242 for theportfolio the tenant refers to, Prospective field 244 for the assignedprospective, Config Global field 246, a Visible Logo check box field 248indicating whether the logo is visible in screens and correspondingreports; Tenant is Properties field listing the properties the tenant isrelated to; Tenant Logo 252 including Image File field 254 and TenantLogo Map 256 with Image File field 258. An Add New button functions toopen a new Tenant Info screen and a Save button functions to save thecurrent screen when pressed.

The admin tool also comprises the ability to maintain broker relatedinformation. In one embodiment, a screen comprises several tabsincluding an Info tab for general broker information; a Coverage Citytab, Coverage Region tab and List Contacts tab.

The Info tab screen includes several broker related fields including aName field for the name of the brokerage company; City field for thecity where the broker is located; Address field for the broker companyaddress; a Phone field for the telephone number and a Fax field for thefacsimile number of the broker. The Coverage City tab includes a fieldfor the desired coverage city to be added to the coverage cities list.The Coverage Region tab includes a field for the desired region to beadded to the coverage cities list. The List Contacts tab includes fieldsfor Name and Surname of the brokerage company contact.

The brokerage related information also includes a contact list. Screensare provided for searching, adding, changing and deleting brokercontacts. The new contact screen includes a Name field for the contact'sname; Surname field for the contact surname; Company field for thecompany the contact belongs to; E-Mail field for the e-mail address ofthe contact; Phone field for the contact's telephone number; Mobilefield for the contact's cellular phone number; and Fax field for thecontact's facsimile number.

The leasing agents associated with properties are also maintained by theportfolio system. Actions include search, add, change, and delete ofleasing agent information. A Leasing Agent Info screen comprisesrelevant fields including a First Name field for the agent's first name;Last Name field for the agent's surname; Phone field for the telephonenumber of the agent; E-Mail field for the e-mail address of the agent;City field for the city the agent belongs to; Address field for thepersonal agent's address; Area Code field for the postal code of theagent; Role field for the role assigned to the agent; Property Managerfield for the property's administrator; and Portfolio field for theportfolio to the agent belongs.

The regional office associated with a property is also maintained by theportfolio system. Actions include search, add, change, and delete ofregional office information. A Regional Office Info screen comprisesrelevant fields including a Legal Name field for the legal name of theregional office; City field for the city of the regional office; Countryfield for the country of the regional office; Description field for adescription or comments; Address field for the address of the regionaloffice; Area Code field for the postal code of the regional office;Portfolio field for portfolio of the regional office; Regional OfficeImage field for the name of the Image File that contains the regionaloffice logo and Leasing Agent field for a listing of all the leasingagents belonging to the city that the office belongs to.

The portfolio system also comprises Property Status screens where onecan search, list, add, modify and delete the different properties statesthat are administered by the system. Examples of property status includeAcquisition, Active, Disposition, Inactive, Monitor, Purchased, etc.Note that property status can be entered into the system as well assynchronized from other applications.

The portfolio system also comprises Property Type screens where one cansearch, list, add, modify and delete the different properties types thatare administered by the system. Examples of property type includeDevelopment, Operating, Portfolio, Stand Alone, etc. Note that propertytype can be entered into the system as well as synchronized from otherapplications.

One of the key screens provided by the portfolio system of the inventionis for entering data related to properties. A diagram illustrating anexample property information page of an example portfolio managementsystem is shown in FIG. 17. The Property Info screen, generallyreferenced 190, comprises several tabs 191 where each tab displaysdifferent data related to a property. In the example screen shown, forexample, tabs include Info, Miscellaneous, Floor, Files, Statistics,Demographics and Tenant. An Add New button functions to open a newProperty Info screen and a Save button functions to save the currentscreen when pressed. Properties can be searched, listed, added, changedand deleted.

In the example screen presented herein , the data fields for the Infotab include a property Name field 192, property Number field 194,property Legal Name field 196, Trade Name field 198 for the commercialname of the property, Address field 200 for the commercial address ofthe property, Area Code field 202 for the postal code of the property,City field 204 for the city of the property, Contact field 206 for thecontact associated with the property, Prospective field 208, Portfoliofield 210, Status field 212 for property status, Type field 214 for thetype of property, Description field 216 for a comment or detaildescribing the property, Update field 218 for a comment or detailconcerning any updates to the property, Latitude field 220 and Longitudefield 222 for use in mobile device application, Last Update field 224for the data and time of the last property update performed, Upload SWFFile field 226 for the field used to load the siteplan to the property,Siteplan SWF field 227 for the siteplan name and Web Pages section 228which includes a Name field 229 for the web page list which referencesthe property.

The Miscellaneous tab is a screen comprising various fields including aLeasing Agent field indicating the leasing agent for the property; Yearof Opening field indicating the year the property opened; a Renovatedfield indicating the record of the refurbishments made to the property;a Site Area field; Asking Price field; Holding Ownership field; ShoppingCenter Cluster field; Value field; Units Total field indicating thetotal number of units in the property; Units Retail field indicating thetotal number of retail units in the property; Units Storage fieldindicating the total number of storage units in the property; UnitsOffice field indicating the total number of office units in theproperty; No of Parking Places field indicating the number of parkingspots; GLA Retail field indicates the surface area occupied by theretail units; Total GLA field; Storage GLA field indicates the surfacearea occupied by the storage units; Office GLA field indicates thesurface area occupied by the office units; Potential GLA field indicateshow the surface area of the property can grow based on refurbishments;Used by Owner GLA field indicates the space used by the property owners;Km from City Center field indicates the distance between the propertyand the city center; Public Transportation Bus field indicates thenumber of buses that run in the vicinity of the property; PublicTransportation Metros field indicates the number of metros that run inthe vicinity of the property; Public Transportation Train fieldindicates the number of trains that run in the vicinity of the property;Public Transportation Tram field indicates the number of trams that runin the vicinity of the property; LOI/Option field; Initial Due Diligencefield; Sale Agreement field; and Final Due Diligence.

The Floor tab is a screen comprising fields including a Floors Quantityfield indicating the total number of floors the property has; and a Namefield for the name assigned to the floor, any number of which may beadded. The user enters the different floors that are in the building. Ifa floor is not defined for a property then unit information will not beable to be entered. In addition, the number of floors enteredcorresponds to the number of tabs displayed to navigate between thefloors in the mobile device application.

The Files tab is a screen comprising fields for entering filesassociated with a property. The screen comprises fields including a Namefield for the name of the file; Type field for the type of file, e.g.,Picture, Property Info, Demographic, etc.; Public checkbox fieldindicating whether the file is public or not; Show Property Info fieldshows is the type ‘Picture’ is selected and indicates if the image canbe used in the Property Info option in the mobile device application;Description field for details or comments related to the entered file;Physical File field indicates whether the file is physical or not; andUpload File field for entering the file name for uploading.

Under the Files tab, the user can add any number of attachment files. Byselecting the correct file type different icons and functionality in thefront end is activated. First, the desired file name to display as thetitle to the file is entered, followed by the file type. Every file typehas its own designated icon in the front end. If the specific file typethe user is interested in is not present, the user selects other and theinformation displays under the property information section in the frontend. Files available to upload are image files and PDF. In analternative embodiment, any desired file type may be uploaded. Aselection whether the file is for public or private use is entered. Thisinformation is used internally or for private use. A short descriptionof the file is entered, and a selection whether the file is a physicalfile or a url is made. If it is a physical file it must be uploaded.Once all the information has been entered for the file, the user clicksthe ‘Add New’ button. This creates a new line on the grid under theentry section. Any number of files may be entered for a property.

The Statistics tab is a screen comprising fields for statisticalinformation about the property. The screen comprises fields including aYear field for the year in which the statistical data entered is basedon; Quarter field for the quarter of the year in which the statisticaldata entered is based on; Base Rent field; Gross Rent Income (GRI)field; Net Rent Income (NRI) field; NRI/GRI Margin (%) field; MarketValue (MV) field; Equivalent Yield (EY) (%) field; Occupancy (%) field;Marketing Expenses field; and Service Charges Expenses field.

The Demographics tab is a screen comprising fields for entering anddisplaying demographic information about the property. The screencomprises fields including a Year field indicating the year in which thedemographic data entered is based on; Population 5 min field indicatingthe total population 5 minutes from the property; Population 10 minfield indicating the total population 10 minutes from the property;Population 15 min field indicating the total population 15 minutes fromthe property; Population 30 min field indicating the total population 30minutes from the property; Number of Households field indicating thenumber of households; Household Income (Median) field for the averagehousehold income; Daily Commuters field indicating the daily estimatedpopulation of travelers for the selected year; Daily Population fieldindicating the daily estimated population for the selected year; andAnnual Traffic Count field indicating the annual traffic count.

The Tenant tab is a screen comprising fields for entering and displayingproperty tenants. When entering a new property, the tab does notfunction since the tenants belong to the units assigned to the property.As the property is only just being created, there are no units relatedto it yet. Once this data is populated, it will appear in this tab. Thescreen comprises both major tenants and anchor tenants.

The portfolio management system also provides the capability ofsearching, listing, adding, changing and deleting units. Unit relatedinformation can be entered into the system or may be synchronized fromother applications. The add Unit Info screen comprises several fieldsfor entering unit related information including a Property fieldindicating the property associated with the unit; Floor field indicatingthe floor of the property associated with the unit; Unit Type fieldindicating the type of unit (e.g., Retail, Storage, Office, etc.); Unit# field indicating a code or identifying number of the unit; App. Unit #field indicating the code or identifying number used to relate thesiteplan unit to the load unit; SQM field indicating the total squaremeters of the unit; Tenant field indicating the tenant related to theunit; Available checkbox field indicating if the property is active ornot; Visible Logo (SWF) checkbox field indicating if the logo will bedisplayed or not in the siteplan for the unit; Configure Logo (SWF)checkbox field indicating if the logo is drawn in the siteplan for theunit; Lease Reference Code field indicating the leasing contractreference code; Lease Start Date field indicating the starting leasingcontract date; Lease End Date field indicating the ending leasingcontract date; Lease File field for uploading a Lease File and a LeaseFile name for the leasing contract.

Mobile Device Portfolio Management Application

As described supra, the portfolio management system of them presentinvention comprises an application (widely referred to as an ‘app’)adapted to execute on a mobile device such as a smartphone (e.g.,iPhone, Android powered phone, etc.), tablet (e.g., iPad, Galaxy, etc.)or other suitable mobile computing platform. The application isoperative to provide a user the ability to view, display, interact withand modify a real estate portfolio database located on a central server,stored in the cloud or stored locally on the mobile device itself (inthe event the cloud or server version of the database is not available).

A diagram illustrating an example home screen of an example portfoliomanagement system is shown in FIG. 18. In one example embodiment, uponlaunching the application, the screen presented is divided into fourparts or sectors and include a property search sector 260, propertydetail sector 262, map display (Google Maps) sector 264 showing thelocation of the properties and a summary sector 266. The screen displaysa list of all the registered properties in alphabetical order by name.

A diagram illustrating another example home screen of an exampleportfolio management system is shown in FIG. 19. This alternate screenis also displayed upon launch of the application and is divided intofour sectors, including a property search sector 270, list result sector272, map display (Google Map) sector 274 and a summary sector 276.

The property search sector 260, 270 is the first listing shown in theinitial startup screen. In this sector, a user can search propertiesusing different filters. As one can appreciate there are fields that canbe edited and the others that can be selected, for example: City,Property name, Property Number and Tenant, are fields that can beedited. This means that when positioned on either of them the systemwill allow writing the desired information, for example a property canbe searched by its name or number. The fields can be selected wherein,for example, the first field selects the desired country. By default theselected option is “All Country” but the system permits the desiredcountry to be selected along with the portfolio or prospective. Thesystem also allows a user to search properties using information abouttheir related units, whether they are occupied, vacant or both, bypressing the appropriate “checkbox”. Another filter for the propertysearch sector is by property size in square meters (SQM). A user pressesthe “Unit SQM” option to use this filter and the system displays threefields allowing the entry of corresponding values. If a search by tenantis performed, the portfolio logo is no longer displayed in the mapsector. Instead, the tenant logo appears on each of the properties it islocated in. A “Search” button is provided to initiate a search based onthe entered one or more search fields. A “Reset” button is also providedwherein by pressing this button the values in the fields are reset orblanked allowing a user to begin a new property search from thebeginning.

Pressing the “Comp” button initiates a comparison operation and opens acomparison screen as shown in FIG. 20. The screen, generally referenced320, is divided into several sectors including a Portfolios sector 322,Countries sector 324, Prospective sector 326 and a map sector 328. Inthis screen a user can make a comparison of properties associated with acertain portfolio to properties from a certain prospective. In addition,the user can add filtering by country, such that properties andportfolio properties of a certain country will be compared, otherwisethe properties of all countries are compared. To make a comparison auser selects the desired portfolio from the portfolio list and thedesired prospective from the prospective list as shown in FIG. 20.

Portfolios are selected from the portfolios sector 322, countries areselected from a countries sector 324 and prospectives are selected froma prospectives sector 326. Once the desired options are selected, theuser presses the “Comparations” button. The system then performs thecomparison process and when it is finished, the system displays thecorresponding icon for each property in the map sector 328. If theproperty belongs to a portfolio then the portfolio icon is displayed,otherwise, the prospective icon is displayed and all related data isdisplayed in the map sector 328. The map display permits a user to zoomin or out of the world map. Clicking the “Back” button returns the userto the previous screen.

After entering search criteria, and performing the search, the systemdisplays the obtained results in the properties sector 262. In responseto the user input, the application forms a search query (data request)that is forwarded to the database (either on the central office server,located in the cloud or locally on the mobile device itself). As shownin FIG. 18, the properties are listed alphabetically by name. Theapplication enables a user to scroll down until the desired property isfound. To improve searching, the system displays an alphabet in columnarformat on the right of the sector display in which pressing thecorresponding letter takes the user to the properties whose names beginwith that letter.

Sectors 262 and 266 shows the number of properties that were found inthe search along with other information such as the number of vacantunits, occupancy, SQM, parking places, etc. For each of the propertiesthat appear in the search results, a corresponding icon is shown on themap displayed in sector 264. The icon is placed in a positioncorresponding to the “Latitude” “Longitude” fields previously enteredfor the property using the admin tool.

Another sample map display view is shown in FIG. 21. The map display 280is, for example, a zoomed in version of the view sector 264 shown inFIG. 18. When selecting a property from the display map 280, the systemshows the corresponding row as shown in sector display 272. Once theproperty is selected (“Bilina, Litomericka” in the Czech Republic, inthe example display), the property is located in the sector display 274with some zoom. In addition, the options in the lower right sectordisplay view 276 that until now did not have options, are now enabled.In particular, the options offered in display view 276 include viewing aPicture, Site Plan or Property Information.

The property displayed in sector view 274 is centered on the map withthe corresponding logo. In addition to the image, several other optionsare shown as described below. A “Zoom” button allows the user toincrease the size of the image so as to display it in great detail.“+and −” buttons permit a user to increase or decrease the satelliteheight provided by Google Maps on the territory currently displayed.

Several types of views are provided to the user. These include thedisplay modes provided by Google Maps. One view type is the Normal viewtype which includes the political map with the names of locations. Atfirst it shows the different countries, but when enlarged, it shows theimportant cities, roads, etc. Enlarging the image even further causesthe name of the streets, squares, neighborhoods, etc. to be seen. TheSatellite view type allows a user to see the world with images takenfrom a satellite, while the Hybrid view type (shown by default) combinesboth the satellite view and the normal view. The different locations,streets, etc. are drawn on the satellite pictures.

The system also provides two types of summary view options. One summaryview option is a Summary Global such as shown in the Summary sectordisplay view 266 shown in FIG. 18. This option is displayed when theuser is able to select a property. In this case, the system shows aseries of indicators in accordance with the query generated/entered.

The Summary Property sector display view 276 in FIG. 19 shows a numberof options that are enabled depending on the information characteristicsof the particular property. In the example presented, only three optionsare shown, namely Picture, Site Plan and Property Info. If the propertycontains all the information loaded, this “Summary” display will show atotal of six options as described herein below.

The Picture option when clicked, allows the user to browse a gallery ofimages that have been entered for the property. The Site Plan optionwhen clicked, allows the user to visualize the property site plan,detailing the occupied and vacant units, as well as the contractingtenants, units' spaces, etc. The Property Info option when clicked,allows the user to view detailed information about the property, fromits address to the statistical data, major tenants, etc. The CompetitiveAnalysis option when clicked, a user with a list of all the files of“Competitive Analysis” type that have been entered/configured with theproperty so that they can be visualized by users. The Demographic optionwhen clicked provides the user with a list of all files of “Demographic”type that have been entered into the property so that they can bevisualized by users. The Financial Analysis option when clicked providesthe user with a list of all files of “Financial Analysis” type that havebeen entered into the property so that they can be visualized by users.

As described supra, when selecting a property the options provided inthe display view sector 276 in FIG. 19 are enabled. These options aredescribed in more detail infra. The “Picture” option when clickeddisplays one or more images associated with the property. An exampleproperty image is shown in FIG. 22. Pressing this option causes theapplication to display an images gallery that has been entered into thesystem such as via the admin tool. To display the images, a usernavigates through the available images. The Next and Back buttons aredisplayed accordingly depending on the number of images and where in thegallery the user is viewing. To return to the previous screen the “Back”button is pressed. To proceed to the next image the “Next button ispressed.

The Site Plan option when clicked displays the property site plan,including the spaces the property has, and in case they exist, thetenants that are currently leasing each space. An example site plan viewis shown in FIG. 23. The site plan view, generally referenced 300,comprises a floor plan view 302 in the upper portion of the view andadditional information displayed in the lower portion of the view.Additional information may include, for example unit number, tenantname, AQM, end lease state, lease status, minimum rent, percentage rent,tenant category, % annual increase, recovery month and sales per month.

Several floor plans can be displayed where each is associated with a tab304 in the upper right portion of the display. Clicking on a tabdisplays the corresponding floor plan. The example view shown has threetabs “P1”, “P2”, and “P3”. The “P1” tab represents the name of the floorplan “P1”. It is noted that the P1 property has only one floor, but ifit had more than one floor, the application would include a tab for eachfloor.

In addition to the floor plan for each selected floor, the applicationshows additional details including for example the detail of the numberof vacant units, number of occupied units and what tenant has hired thatunit. “View Tenant” list and “View Vacancy” list buttons in the lowerright of the display provide list views of tenants and vacancies,respectively. When the “View Vacancy list” button is pressed theapplication displays the list of the vacant units and the link changesto “Hide Vacancy list” allowing the detail of the vacant units to behidden. The detail of the displayed results is ordered according to thespace (SQM). This means that those units with more space will appearfirst. On the other hand, and in a similar manner the tenants list canbe displayed. When the button “View Tenant list” is pressed the tenantslist is displayed also arranged in order of the size of the rentedspace. To hide the list, a user presses the button again whose label hasnow been changed to “Hide Tenant list”.

Other functionality displayed by this screen includes the ability toselect a unit within the site plan. A unit is selected from the numberedunits in the entire site plan. As indicated in the example site planview shown in FIG. 23, unit number 1 (referenced 306) is selected. Uponselecting this unit, the application displays information related to theselected unit as shown in the bottom portion 308 of the screen. In thebottom portion 308, the application displays the unit number, the logoof the tenant that is leasing the unit (if they have one), the tenant'sname, the total unit space expressed in SQM and rent roll information.If a tenant does not have an assigned logo, an empty box without contentis shown instead.

Included in the information displayed in the bottom portion 308 is rentand sales history. An example graph displaying total rent per SQM versustime is shown in FIG. 24. An example graph displaying total sales perSQM versus time is shown in FIG. 25. It is appreciated that otherhistorical information graphs can be displayed to the user in accordancewith the particular implementation of the application.

The application also provides to the user a more detailed propertyinformation screen such as the example shown in FIG. 26. This screen isdisplayed by clicking on a property button in one or more locations inthe application. When the button is clicked, the screen, generallyreferenced 290, comprises an image of the selected property 292, generalfacts of the property 299, the major tenant 294, regional officeinformation 296 and leasing agent information 298. As shown, this showsdetailed information about the selected property, including the propertyname, address, city, country, postal code, etc. In addition, otherinformation includes the property image, which was entered as “propertyinfo” in the admin tools application. On the right hand side of thescreen, the application displays statistical information 299 about theproperty.

In addition to the statistical information the application also displaysthe Major tenants 294 related to the property. Complementing theproperty information, the leasing agent 296 and the regional office 298are displayed as well. This information provides the user with telephoneand addresses data from both contacts to facilitate communications withthem. At the bottom portion of the screen (not shown) the applicationoptionally displays all the files of the type “property info” that havebeen previously entered into the application for the property via theadmin tools. The example property screen shown in FIG. 26 does not haveany associated files and would display the message “No Files”. If theproperty did in fact have related files, the application displays thefile names and buttons for a user to click. Clicking on a button opensthe corresponding file so they can be viewed by the user. To return tothe previous screen the user presses the “Back” button.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. As numerousmodifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in theart, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the limitednumber of embodiments described herein. Accordingly, it will beappreciated that all suitable variations, modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and the practical application,and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand theinvention for various embodiments with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of viewing a property portfolio on amobile device, said method comprising: providing an application on saidmobile device for dynamic, interactive viewing and management of anelectronic real estate property portfolio, said electronic propertyportfolio generated from property portfolio data entered by a user andstored in a database; in response to a user command to view propertyportfolio data, retrieving property portfolio data from said database;and formatting and displaying property portfolio data corresponding tosaid user command to said user.
 2. The method according to claim 1,wherein said central database resides in a cloud based data storagefacility.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said centraldatabase resides on a remote server in communication with said mobiledevice over the Internet.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinsaid central database resides locally on said mobile device.
 5. Asoftware application product that when executed on a processor in amobile device is operative to: provide dynamic, interactive viewing andmanagement of an electronic real estate property portfolio, saidelectronic real estate property portfolio generated from propertyrelated data stored in a database; in response to a user request fordata, send a request to said database for real estate property portfoliodata corresponding to said user requests; receive from said server, inresponse to said request, a response containing requested real estateproperty portfolio data; and format and display said real estateproperty portfolio data received in said response to said user.
 6. Thesoftware application product according to claim 5, wherein said databaseresides in a cloud based data storage facility.
 7. The softwareapplication product according to claim 5, wherein said database resideslocally on said mobile device.
 8. A computer program product for viewingan electronic property portfolio, the computer program productcomprising: a non-transitory computer usable storage medium havingcomputer usable code embodied therewith, the computer usable programcode comprising: computer usable code configured for receiving a requestfrom a user over a network for information about one or more propertiesin said property portfolio, said property portfolio generated from userentered property portfolio related data and stored in a centraldatabase; computer usable code configured for in response to saidrequest, retrieving data corresponding to said request for informationabout one or more properties from said central database; and computerusable code configured for serving said requested data to said user oversaid network.
 9. The computer program product according to claim 88,wherein said central database resides in a cloud based data storagefacility.